THE HABITS OF THE SALMON, 21 



nets cannot be used, they catch every fish that 

 comes. But all that falls to the share of the upper 

 proprietors is a small proportion of the few fish 

 that may happen to have passed the lower stations 

 during the weekly close time, and those that reach 

 the district during the annual close season. Of 

 those that make headway in the weekly close 

 time, grilse, by their clever habit of evading 

 the nets, form by far the largest contingent. It 

 would, therefore, appear that the lower proprietors 

 of net fisheries, by virtue of the law as it at 

 present stands, are unjustly authorized to enjoy 

 far more than their share of the spoil, and it is 

 obvious that, unless some better provision is made 

 for the upper proprietors, all moneys expended for 

 the purpose of increasing the number of fish in 

 their waters would be misused and merely benefit 

 the lessees of the net fisheries. 



Perhaps the result of some judicious alteration of 

 the law — let alone the facilities afforded by our 

 artificial hatcheries — would amend matters and 



